Cost to connect to the grid?

   / Cost to connect to the grid? #31  
TESLA power wall batteries, last I checked, must be grid tied, so no off grid use. We looked into them.
We're off grid and this time of year, generator runs about every 3 days to charge the batteries.
Patrick
 
   / Cost to connect to the grid? #32  
I think the OP will be in for a rude surprise on costs and contractors now. 10 years ago I was looking at a minimum $60/meter to run a single overhead line. Then you need poles. Digging. Underground? Get that second mortgage now before the rates go even higher. I hope you have deep pockets and patience finding and securing electrical contractors.

On the plus side selling your home will be easier if it's grid connected.

It probably would be cheaper to get a genset and 1000 gallon propane tank and get it refilled every week. If you are already used to the off-grid lifestyle then you won't have to refill the propane tank as often unless you have teenagers living at home still.
 
   / Cost to connect to the grid?
  • Thread Starter
#33  
I think the OP will be in for a rude surprise on costs and contractors now. 10 years ago I was looking at a minimum $60/meter to run a single overhead line. Then you need poles. Digging. Underground? Get that second mortgage now before the rates go even higher. I hope you have deep pockets and patience finding and securing electrical contractors.

On the plus side selling your home will be easier if it's grid connected.

It probably would be cheaper to get a genset and 1000 gallon propane tank and get it refilled every week. If you are already used to the off-grid lifestyle then you won't have to refill the propane tank as often unless you have teenagers living at home still.
You are right. Probably a good idea to reserve a mortgage for this. It's ridiculous time so I'm prepare mentally to see the quotes. I still want to understand from where the huge cost is coming from.

If I'm going only underground the material list includes: wire for primary and secondary, conduit, warning tape, transformer and meter. Do I miss something? Does anybody knows how much cost 1 foot of primary wire which is required for 4KV line or lower voltage? Secondary for 200A service requires 2/0 copper which is at $10/foot, I see the PVC conduit 2.5" is around $6/foot. The pad transformer is around 2K and the meter under 1K. So the big unknow is the primary wire cost. Electrician labor to connect is another unknow but not se it more then 3K plus ESA inspection is around $500.
 
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   / Cost to connect to the grid? #34  
Appears to be expensive in Canada. Not here (other than the cost of the poles being set). We ran almost 3/4 of a mile through our up north property (Michigan) for the cost of the poles only (2 grand a pole, set). Everything else was covered by the utility except right of way clearing which I did myself. Through the woods btw. 200 amp single phase service btw. All in cost was under 30 grand if I remember correctly.
 
   / Cost to connect to the grid? #35  
I am curious about the easement. Who will own the easement and the primary? And who will service it in the future.

IF the electric company will OWN and MAINTAIN it....But only require you do give them access to install wire.....(set poles or do conduit underground) that is understandable.

I knwo everywhere is different....but I dont know ANYONE with residential electric that owns ANY primary let alone any residential electricians even qualified to work on it.

I just did a ~$750' service install for a old friend. The electric company required that he burry 3' conduit at least 36" deep and with a pull string. He rented a mini-ex as this was going through a woods and the concerns with a trencher and tree-roots.

He had $1000 in the machine + paying me to operate it and I had the 750' dug in about 5 hours. Then gluing pipe while pulling string as we went and tossed it in and covered it up. A full days work. I think he got the 10' sticks of pipe for $55'ea. So $5.50/ft or so.

So he ended up with ~$4200 in pipe for a total of $5200.

The electric company will come back and tie in their lines, set transformer, and pull wire.

All electric companies are different.....this one gives him a $5000 "credit" towards new installs. So the cost of the wire + cost of the transformer minus the $5k is what he pays. I think his estimate was ~$2500 for the transformer and like $3.50/ft for the wire. So he should owe very little to them but had to spend the $5200 for the digging and conduit.

And this "easement" is now owned by the electric company. And any future issues with what is burried is THEIR responsibility to fix.
 
   / Cost to connect to the grid? #36  
On ours, the utility maintains the easement and we had to grant and record that easement. No issue with us. Ours is all overhead, nothing buried. That easement represents a very small portion of the land we own up north anyway.
 
   / Cost to connect to the grid? #37  
I am curious about the easement. Who will own the easement and the primary? And who will service it in the future.

IF the electric company will OWN and MAINTAIN it....But only require you do give them access to install wire.....(set poles or do conduit underground) that is understandable.

I knwo everywhere is different....but I dont know ANYONE with residential electric that owns ANY primary let alone any residential electricians even qualified to work on it.

I just did a ~$750' service install for a old friend. The electric company required that he burry 3' conduit at least 36" deep and with a pull string. He rented a mini-ex as this was going through a woods and the concerns with a trencher and tree-roots.

He had $1000 in the machine + paying me to operate it and I had the 750' dug in about 5 hours. Then gluing pipe while pulling string as we went and tossed it in and covered it up. A full days work. I think he got the 10' sticks of pipe for $55'ea. So $5.50/ft or so.

So he ended up with ~$4200 in pipe for a total of $5200.

The electric company will come back and tie in their lines, set transformer, and pull wire.

All electric companies are different.....this one gives him a $5000 "credit" towards new installs. So the cost of the wire + cost of the transformer minus the $5k is what he pays. I think his estimate was ~$2500 for the transformer and like $3.50/ft for the wire. So he should owe very little to them but had to spend the $5200 for the digging and conduit.

And this "easement" is now owned by the electric company. And any future issues with what is burried is THEIR responsibility to fix.

In my case I had to grant an easement, pay for the transformer, base and primary ( as well as the meter base, etc) but not the co-op labor to run primary, set the transformer and hook up the meter. I did the trenching and backfill. Once installed the co-op is responsible for everything up to the meter (which ironically includes all the stuff I paid for). My 175’, 400A service cost me around $6000 a few years back.
 
   / Cost to connect to the grid? #38  
A lot of the cost is in the cable. Go price that stuff per foot.
It has been a while, but, I priced 15kv wire that would service 200 amp, direct bury if you could get by with it was just under 10 bucks a foot with no begging or shoping. Is that about what you were thinking?

Best,

ed
 
   / Cost to connect to the grid? #39  
It has been a while, but, I priced 15kv wire that would service 200 amp, direct bury if you could get by with it was just under 10 bucks a foot with no begging or shoping. Is that about what you were thinking?

Best,

ed
No, I was thinking that larger higher capacity wire would be needed for such a long run. And many utilities don’t permit a primary installation to be done with direct burial without conduit.
 
   / Cost to connect to the grid? #40  
No, I was thinking that larger higher capacity wire would be needed for such a long run. And many utilities don’t permit a primary installation to be done with direct burial without conduit.
I would agree, it seems unlikely they would let you by with direct bury, but, I think I got the wire size correct, but, going up in size is only incremental.

I can't paint a picture to 80k, but, I can sure see a path to 20-30 which is astonishing to me.

Best,

ed
 
 
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